The Central Highlands - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 175

you're shown onto a balcony overlooking the large workshop where the oak casks for
whisky are made and repaired.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE CRAIGELLACHIE
By bus Buses for Dufftown (hourly; 10min) arrive and depart from Edward Avenue (the A941) in Craigellachie.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Archiestown Hotel In Archiestown, a few miles west
of Craigellachie T 01340 810218, W archiestownhotel
.co.uk. This traditional place serves good evening meals
and has some comfy rooms upstai rs. In good weather, it's
also a fine spot for alfresco dining. £180
Craigellachie Hotel Victoria St T 08431 787114,
W bespokehotels.com/craigellachiehotel. Near the River
Spey, this grand nineteenth-century hotel is the epitome
of sumptuous Scottish hospit ality, w ith classy cuisine and a
bar lined with whisky bottles. £140
Fiddichside Inn On the A95 just outside Craigellachie
T 01340 881239. A wonderfully original and convivial

pub with a garden by the river; quite unfazed by the
demands of fashion, it has been in the hands of the
same family since 1919. You'll pay about £3.10 for a pint
of ale. Mon-Fri 11am-2.30pm & 5-11pm, Sat 11am-
midnight, Sun 12.30-11pm.
Highlander Inn On Victoria St in Craigellachie
T 01340 881446, W whiskyinn.com. Upscale pub grub is
served at basement level in this tartan-strewn pub, inclu-
ding locally “caught” haggis for £10. There are reasonable
rooms on the ground floor, though the decor i is a lit tle
old-fashioned. Food served daily 5.30-9.30pm. £103

2

Aberlour
Two miles southwest from Craigellachie is ABERLOUR , officially “Charlestown of
Aberlour”. Founded in 1812 by Charles Grant, its long main street, neat, flower-filled
central square and well-trimmed lawns running down to the Spey have all the markings
of a planned village. Though you can visit the distillery here, it's another local product
- shortbread - that is exported in greater quantity around the world, mostly in tartan
tins adorned with kilted warriors. A local baker, Joseph Walker , set up shop here at the
turn of the twentieth century, quickly gaining a reputation for the product which
seems to epitomize the Scottish sweet tooth. If you're keen, you can join the coachloads
who visit the factory shop on the outskirts of the village. The town is also right on the
Speyside Way (see box, p.176).
ARRIVAL AND ACTIVITIES ABERLOUR

By bus Local buses stop on The Square, just off the
High Street.
Destinations Craigellachie (every 30min; 5min); Dufftown
(hourly; 15min).
Moray Monster Trails Ben Aigan car park, off the

A95 near Mulben T 01466 794161, W forestry.gov.uk.
Aberlour is just a few miles from the entrance to the
extensive Moray Monster (Mountainbike) Trails at Ben
Aigen, on which you can test your skills on a variety of
challenging single-track bike routes.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Aberlour Gardens Caravan Park T 01340 871586,
W aberlourgardens.co.uk. Though the campsite here is the
most pleasant in the area, with its own shop specializing
in local produce, it's a walk of a mile and a h alf from either
Aberlour or Craigellachie. March-Dec. £9.90 /pitch
Mash Tun 8 Broomfield Square T 01340 881771,
W mashtun-aberlour.com. The best place to eat and drink
is this pleasant, traditional pub, which serves up freshly

prepared bar meals (pan-fried pork steak £9.95), real ales
and all the local whiskies in the heart of Aberlour near the
Spey; it also has cosy rooms and a luxury suite . Mo n-Fri
noon-2pm & 6-9pm, Sat & Sun noon-9pm. £97
Spey Larder 96 High St T 01340 871243. There's a good
range of produce on offer at this well-stocked deli, right by the
village square, including olives, herbs, locally made shortbread
and big bottles of ginger ale (£4.95). Mon-Sat 9am-5pm.

Glenlivet
Beyond Aberlour, the Spey and the main road both head generally southwest to
Ballindalloch and, a dozen miles beyond that, Grantown-on-Spey, at the head of the